


Like Any Refugee

by havocthecat



Category: Stargate Atlantis
Genre: Ancients, Other, Threesome, episode based
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2007-07-16
Updated: 2007-07-16
Packaged: 2017-10-02 12:25:01
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,172
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/6291
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/havocthecat/pseuds/havocthecat
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Elizabeth has never talked much about her family. Return-based fic.</p>
            </blockquote>





	Like Any Refugee

**Author's Note:**

> Originally posted [here](http://community.livejournal.com/fannish_suiss/13002.html?format=light) on LJ.

_'Home is not where you live, but where they understand you.'_ -Christian Morgenstern

"You are one of the Ancestors?" asked Teyla. She stood in front of Elizabeth, pacing in the quiet confines of Elizabeth's bedroom. "Yet you did not tell us until Helia and her people tried to reclaim the city."

"You're an Ancient." John leaned against the wall, frowning at Elizabeth. "I can't believe you're a fucking Ancient."

Elizabeth was sitting on the sofa. She leaned forward, elbows resting on her knees as she studied her hands. "An Alteran, not an Ancient," she said softly. She glanced up at them. "Not the ancestor of anyone in the Pegasus galaxy. I was born centuries after we fled Atlantis."

"And you helped engineer this expedition nearly three years ago." Teyla paused and turned to Elizabeth. "To return and inhabit Atlantis. Why?"

"Because leaving the people of this galaxy to face the Wraith alone was wrong." Elizabeth stood, folding her hands in front of her. "I'm only human, just like you and John. So were our ancestors. I'm not worthy of anyone's veneration because I'm a little more advanced genetically."

"_I_ do not feel the need to venerate you." Teyla's look at Elizabeth was exasperation mingled with amusement.

"Thank goodness for small favors," said Elizabeth. She grinned for the first time since she'd been unmasked as an Alteran, and Teyla smiled back.

"You said you needed me on this expedition because I had the gene," said John. "You didn't need me. You have the gene. Hell, you're one of the species that's the _source_ of the gene."

"No." Elizabeth shook her head. "I _do_ need you. There are so few Alterans that avoided contracting the plague or Ascending that we need everyone possible with the gene to help operate Atlantis." She paused, taking the time to study both John and Teyla. "This expedition isn't about the Alterans going it alone. It's about bridging the gap between our culture and the cultures of Pegasus and the Milky Way."

"Is that why you slept with both of us?" asked John roughly. "To 'bridge the gap' or some bullshit like that?"

"Is that what you think?" Elizabeth stood and walked gracefully over to John. She covered his hand with hers, and deliberately didn't draw back as he flinched. "I slept with both of you because I love you."

"We are aware of that." Teyla walked closer and lay one hand on Elizabeth's back. She let the other rest on John's shoulder. "Though we are both distressed that you did not trust us with this information before now."

"I know." Elizabeth took a deep breath as John and Teyla watched her. "I'm sorry. I should have told you, but I didn't want to be put on a pedestal for it."

"There any other secret Ancients _not_ on the expedition that you want to tell us about?" asked John sourly.

Elizabeth smiled sheepishly. "General O'Neill is my uncle," she said.

"Holy--" John broke off. "You weren't kidding when you said you guys aged differently. Your _uncle_?"

"Great-uncle, actually," said Elizabeth. "He's not going to be happy that you two know."

"Yeah, because he's always been so happy with me before now," said John. "You could've told us, Elizabeth."

"Elizabeth." Teyla leaned forward and let her forehead rest against Elizabeth's. "We will get through this. What will you do about Helia and her crew?"

John pushed off from the wall and pressed a kiss to Teyla's cheek. "Throw 'em off a balcony?" he asked hopefully. His arms circled around Elizabeth and Teyla's waists, and he pulled them closer.

"I'll offer them positions on Atlantis," said Elizabeth. "Failing that, I'm sure there's someplace in the Milky Way they'd like to go to. Perhaps they'd feel comfortable with the Nox."

"It was a noble thing that you and those of your people did, Elizabeth," said Teyla. "But if you have truly come to rejoin this galaxy as part of its people, then we must discuss how best to do so." She slid her hand up Elizabeth's back as she met Elizabeth's eyes. "You have made a good start, but we must bring _all_ our people together. There need to be more people from this galaxy as part of the expedition."

Elizabeth nodded. "All right." She looked solemnly at Teyla. "I've tried to work within the limits of the IOA and the governments involved."

"It is time that we stopped working within their limits," said Teyla. "We are well on our way to becoming our own people, with our own laws. It _is_ the natural conclusion of our people's commingling."

"The IOA's not going to like that," said Elizabeth ruefully. "Neither is Stargate Command."

"Then they will not like it," said Teyla. "But it is necessary."

"I'm beginning to think that it is," said Elizabeth. "Are you mad at me?"

"Disappointed, perhaps," said Teyla. She shook her head. "But not mad."

John's sharp laughter was harsh. "I'm still mad at you." His hand was gripping the hem of her shirt tightly. "How could you, Elizabeth?"

"It was the only way I could come here." She took a deep breath and exhaled slowly. "I could join the expedition as a normal human, or I could take Mr. Woolsey's place as the liaison to the IOA, and they would send him here in my stead."

"Ancestors forbid," said Teyla.

"We did," said Elizabeth. Her voice was dry. "Or at least I did."

"Just please do me one favor, Elizabeth?" asked John.

"What's that?" she asked, looking worriedly at him.

"Tell me Woolsey's not an Ancient too."

"Dear God, no," said Elizabeth quickly.

Teyla chuckled as she leaned her mouth against John's throat, and his breath caught. "So what're we gonna do now?" he asked.

"We will go to bed," said Teyla. She stepped back, catching John and Elizabeth's hands in her own. "Together, as we do every night. Tomorrow, we will arise with the sun, and begin taking the steps we must to preserve our home from both Helia's desire to return it to a stronghold for the Ancestors alone, and from the IOA."

"And deal with Rodney being pissed that Elizabeth doesn't know how to recharge a ZPM," drawled John. "I think that hurt him worse than finding out you're an Ancient."

"Alteran," corrected Elizabeth. "Rodney will have to live. I'm a diplomat and a linguist, not an astrophysicist."

"Explains why you read Ancient so well," said John. "You grow up speaking it, Elizabeth?"

"It was a lost language for us too," said Elizabeth. "English is my native language, John."

"This will take some getting used to," said Teyla.

"I'm still the same person I was this morning," said Elizabeth.

"The same person, " said John slowly, "only with telekinesis."

"There is one benefit to you knowing about the telekinesis." Elizabeth caught Teyla's eye and grinned wickedly.

"Oh, yeah?" asked John. "What's that?"

"It is time to come to bed, John," said Teyla, tugging on his hand. "I believe Elizabeth means to demonstrate there."

\--end--


End file.
